Finnish parliamentary election, April 2023

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Publication Date 2023
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Summary:

Information Guide focusing on the legislative election held in Finland on 2 April 2023.

Further information:

In Finland, the Members of Parliament (Eduskunta) are usually elected every four years. In the parliamentary election, the country is divided into electoral districts. A certain number of Members of Parliament are selected from each district. The number depends on the population of the electoral district. A total number of 200 Members of Parliament are elected. A functioning government is required a parliamentary majority of at least 101 seats.

The country was governed since the previous election by a coalition headed by the centre-left social democrats (SDP) and comprising a variety of centrist and left-leaning parties. The electoral campaign focused on ideological debates regarding public spending, the economy and climate change. Attention was also given to the performance of Prime Minister Sanna Marin while in office. Pre-electoral polls suggested a tight race between the incumbent, centre-right Kokoomus and far-right Finns party.

The elections held on 2 April 2023 resulted in a victory for Kokoomus (20,8%), followed by the Finns party (20,1%). Despite the electoral gains, the social democrats were only third (19,9%). All other coalition parties lost support when compared to the previous election. Analysts suggested the electoral outcome would trigger long negotiations to form a government with a parliamentary majority.

Related Links
Official
Finnish Ministry of Justice: Official Website for Elections https://vaalit.fi/en/frontpage
OSCE: ODIHR: Finnish Parliamentary Elections, 2 April 2023 https://www.osce.org/odihr/elections/finland/539012
Finnish Government: Press Release, 30/03/2023: Advance votes cast abroad in parliamentary elections total 42,198 https://valtioneuvosto.fi/en/-/advance-votes-cast-abroad-in-parliamentary-elections-total-42-198

News
YLE News: Parliamentary Elections 2023 https://yle.fi/news/18-335333
EurActiv, 16/11/2022: Record number of parties eye up Finnish parliamentary elections https://www.euractiv.com/section/politics/news/record-number-of-parties-eye-up-finnish-parliamentary-elections/
ERR News, 09/03/2023: Finland goes to the polls next month https://news.err.ee/1608909491/finland-goes-to-the-polls-next-month
Euronews, 17/03/2023: Outcry as Finland election campaign hit by 'racist' advertising https://www.euronews.com/2023/03/17/outcry-as-finland-election-campaign-hit-by-racist-advertising
Euronews, 31/03/2023: Finland election: The issues making headlines on the campaign trail https://www.euronews.com/2023/03/31/finland-election-the-issues-making-headlines-on-the-campaign-trail
Politico, 02/04/2023: Finnish PM Sanna Marin set for defeat in national vote https://www.politico.eu/article/finland-election-pm-sanna-marin-defeat-national-vote/
Euronews, 02/04/2023: Tight race in prospect as polls open in Finland's parliamentary election https://www.euronews.com/2023/04/02/tight-race-in-prospect-as-polls-open-in-finlands-parliamentary-election
RTÉ News, 02/04/2023: Finland's centre-right leader claims general election victory https://www.rte.ie/news/europe/2023/0402/1367753-finland/
The Guardian, 02/04/2023: Finnish PM faces battle to hang on to power as general election goes to wire https://www.theguardian.com/world/2023/apr/02/finland-begins-voting-in-knife-edge-election
Le Monde, 02/04/2023: Finland's conservatives claim victory in general election https://www.lemonde.fr/en/europe/article/2023/04/02/finland-s-center-right-party-claims-win-amid-tight-election_6021480_143.html
El País, 02/04/2023: Finland’s center-right party claims win amid tight election https://english.elpais.com/international/2023-04-02/finlands-center-right-party-claims-win-amid-tight-election.html
Reuters, 03/04/2023: Finland's PM Marin concedes defeat as right-wing NCP wins election https://www.reuters.com/world/europe/finlands-marin-faces-tough-re-election-bid-national-election-2023-04-01/
The Guardian, 03/04/2023: Sanna Marin suffers defeat in Finland election as SDP beaten into third place https://www.theguardian.com/world/2023/apr/02/sanna-marin-finland-election-sdp-social-democratic-national-coalition
BBC News, 03/04/2023: Sanna Marin defeated by Finland's conservatives in tight race https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-65157357
Politico, 03/04/2023: Petteri Orpo defeats Sanna Marin in Finland election. Now what? https://www.politico.eu/article/petteri-orpo-finland-election-win-hard-work-new-government-coalition-sanna-marin/
Associated Press (AP News), 03/04/2023: Finland prime minister ousted, conservatives win tight vote https://apnews.com/article/finland-parliamentary-election-sanna-marin-494e6d181a21e6f4cda00524e2468e4a
EurActiv, 03/04/2023: Finnish election results predict two possible government coalitions https://www.euractiv.com/section/politics/news/finnish-election-results-predict-two-possible-government-coalitions/
France24, 03/04/2023: Finland's conservative leader Orpo set to become Prime Minister https://www.france24.com/en/europe/20230402-petteri-orpo-finland-s-low-key-conservative-set-to-become-pm
Helsinki Times, 03/04/2023: Annika Saarikko declares Center Party's place in opposition after historic election defeat https://www.helsinkitimes.fi/finland/finland-news/politics/23306-annika-saarikko-declares-center-party-s-place-in-opposition-after-historic-election-defeat.html

Commentary and Analysis
International Foundation for Electoral Systems (IFES): Election Guide: Finland https://www.electionguide.org/countries/id/74/
Robert Schuman Foundation: European Elections Monitor (EEM): Analysis, 14/03/2023: Will Finland shift to the right in the general elections on 2 April? https://www.robert-schuman.eu/en/eem/2036-will-finland-shift-to-the-right-in-the-general-elections-on-2-april
Euronews, 27/03/2023: Everything you need to know about Finland's general election https://www.euronews.com/2023/03/27/everything-you-need-to-know-about-finlands-general-election
Foreign Policy: Analysis, 30/03/2023: Finland Is Less Progressive Than It Seems https://foreignpolicy.com/2023/03/30/finland-election-sanna-marin-indigenous-sami-parliament-far-right/
Democracy Reporting International, 31/03/2023: Finland's Parliamentary Elections and the Rule of Law https://democracy-reporting.org/en/office/EU/publications/finnish-parliamentary-elections-and-the-rule-of-law
Euro|topics, March 2023: Elections in Finland: open outcome https://www.eurotopics.net/en/299034/
The Spectator (UK), 03/04/2023: Why Sanna Marin lost Finland’s election https://www.spectator.co.uk/article/finlands-sanna-marin-loses-to-conservative-opponents/
Helsinki Times, 03/04/2023: Finland will take a step right – coming weeks will show just how big https://www.helsinkitimes.fi/finland/finland-news/politics/23303-finland-will-take-a-step-right-coming-weeks-will-show-just-how-big.html

Wikipedia: 2023 Finnish parliamentary election https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2023_Finnish_parliamentary_election

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